Wing vortex reducer



April 5 1937- A. W. LOERKE WING VORTEX REDUCER Filed Aug. 17, 1934 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 APatented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,075,817 WING VORTEX REDUCER- `Arthur w. Loerke, Dayton, ohio Application August 17,

13 Claims.

1034, sealaron-10,280

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30,

The invention described herein may be manuv factured and used by or for the' Government for governmental purposes,vwithout the payment to me of any royalty thereon. y

This invention relates to airplane Wings generally but more particularly to the concentration of load at the extreme tips of the wing resulting from the creation of turbulent air 110W due to the presence of wing tipy vortices. l

In all types of airplane wings, a whirl or vortex is produced at the wing tips. This vortex is caused by the difference in pressure between the upper and lower surfaces of the wing; the air at the bottom surface of the wing having a. higher pressure tends to move into the low pressure area on the top surface at the wing tip. This vortex adds considerable disturbance and drag to the airplane. Hence, fthis vortex is reduced or eliminated the drag would be decreased and the speed of the airplane increased.

It is, therefore, a principal object. of this invention to increase materially the aerodynamic eiliciency of an airplanewing by reducing or eliminatingdisturbances and vortices at the 'Wing tips.

In addition to the above, other objects of the invention are: (a) to make formation flying safer and to allow closer formations; (b) to re'- duce drag by straightening the airiiow'over the wing; and (c) to increase the speed of thev airplane. y

Briefly described, the invention consists in a method 'and means to eliminate or reduce the wing tip vortices by suction applied to thev wing tips, or by the use of some formof airflow straightener at the source of the turbulent iiow.

The advantages of the invention and its method of operation will be apparent from the following detailed description of -specii'lc embodiments thereof, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of an airplane, in elevation, showing the direction of the airflow about the wing tips.

Figure`2 is a view of an airplane, in top plan,

showing the direction of the airow over the top Figure 4 is a. top plan View of the wingportion with the wing tip in horizontal section to more f clearly disclose the Venturi tube assembly. 55 Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to the above but disclosing another form of the Venturi tube assembly.

Figures f7 and 8 are views, in elevation, and vertical cross section respectively, of anadditional and diierent form of Venturi tube assembly.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of an airplane showing the manner of reducing or eliminating wing tip vortices by suction at the wing tip supplied by a mechanical pump. i

Figures 10 and 11 are plan viewspon an enlarged scale, of the different wing tipstructures as designed to accomplish two purposes of the invention when the suction is supplied by a. mechanical pump. y

, Figure 12 is an edge View of the wing tip shown in Figure 11. f

Figure 13 isa view, in top plan, of a wing tip equipped, inA a further variation of the invention, with a Venturi tube assemblyr arranged lto straighten or smooth the airflow, off the trailing edge of the wing tip. i

Figure 14 is a detail view, in perspective, of the airflow straightener.

The airflow about an airplane wing is graphically illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; the solid lines of Figure 2 indicating direction of iow over the upper surface of the' wing and the dotted lines indicating the iiow4 under the wing. It is well known that when an airplane wing is moving through the air, there is an area of low pressure over the top of the wing and an area of high pressure under the wing. At each tip of the wing, therefore, the air under the wing flows up f into the low pressure area on top, as represented in Figure 1, forming a whirl or vortex at the wing tip. These tip vortices originally are small and have a high rate of rotation but gradually' enlarge, as shown in Figure 2, and the rate of rotation decreases until the whole disturbance dies out. This creation of turbulent iiow always means an increase in drag and hydrodynamic theory shows that the Work required to overcome the induced drag is equal to the energy absorbed by the wing tip vortices.

The present invention proposes, to reduce or eliminate the wing tip vortices by means of suction at the wing tip, supplied by a Venturi tube stalled in the wing tip 3 crosswise of the wing with its smaller or air inlet end 5- at the leading edge of the wing and its outlet end 'I at the trailing edge. Airflow straightening plates or vanes 9 are provided in the forward end of the venturi and a fiat, bell mouth, side tube II leads outwardly from the narrowest part or throat I3 of the venturi to the tip of the wing with its bell mouth I5 opening outwardly and downwardly of the wing tip in the manner illustrated. The speed of the air passing through the venturi is 10 very much greater in the throat than at the forward or the rear end, and also higher than I the speed of the air outside. Consequently, the

venturi produces apressure lower than atmospheric pressure, or a suction, within the side tube l5 II. As a result, the air on the underside of the wing tip is drawn into the wing tip through the bell mouth of the side tube and thus prevented from flowing up into the low area on top. The formation of whirls or "vortices at the tip of the wing. is thus avoided and the discharge of the air from the rear end of the venturi ensures a SmOoth ow off the trailing edge of the wing tip. Various shapes of Venturi tubes maybe so employed. For example,the venturi may be of circular cross section as in Figure 3, or elliptical as in Figure 5,'or rectangular as in Figure 7. In the pump type of installation, shown in Figures 9 to 12 inclusive, a bell mouth suction tube I1, similar to the Venturi side tube I I, is installed in like manner within the wing tip with its bell mouth I9 adjacent the edge of the wing tip. At its inner end, the tube I1 is either connected with, or prolonged to form, a pipe 2l extending longitudinally of the wing and connecting at its 3,5 inner end with-a suction pump 29, as shown in Figure 9. The suction tube I'I may have its bell mouth I9 opening directly through the wing tip to receive theairow as in Figure 10, or the wing tip edge maybe provided adjacent the bell mouth of the suction tube witha series of small air holes 2l through which the air passes into the bell mouth, as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

In the airflow straightener type of installation shown in Figures 13 and14, a Venturi tube 2I is supported,` by a bracket 29 attached to the rear spar 3| of the wing, at the tip of the wing and rearwardly of the trailing edge thereof in the direct path of the wing tip vortices so as to intercept the latter almost at theirmoment of conception.- The whirls or vortices, are straightened out by their passage through the venturi and Y by the plates or vanes 33 in theintakeend of the venturi. "'The creation of turbulent now, with its induced drag, behind the wing tip is thus reduced to a um if not entirely eliminated `and the aerodynamic emciency of the wing is proportionately increased. The Venturi tube 2 'I may, if desired, beprovided with a streamline cover I5.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the specific embodiments above herein described, and illustrated butthat various othver arrangements' and combinations` may be resorted to within the scope'of the appended claims. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed,asnew,is: v

1. Iman airplane wing structure, the comble nation with a wing of a tube having a grill work or air straightener'piatestnerein. said tube being' located at the tip of the wing and rearwardlyof the 4trailing edge thereof in the direct path of wing tip vortices to intercept andstraighten same to provide for smooth flow of air oi! the tip trailz;mana;irplanewingstrucmr,tnecombm.

'is uonwimswingofsvenamtubuttnsupof wing and rearwardly of the wing tip trailing edge with its suction end disposed close to the wing tip to intercept and guide into the tube almost at their conception the air whorls or vortices formed at the wing tip, Vand a grillwork of air straightener plates within the tube whereby said vortices are straightened out Aduring passage through the tube.

3. In an airplane wing structure, in combination, a wing, a Venturi tube, a supporting connection between the tube and wing supporting the tube at the wing tip and rearwardly of the wing tip trailing edge to provide a' suction passage into which the wing tip vortices pass, and a series of airflow straightening plates in the intake end of the tube.

4. In an airplane wing structure, the combination with a wing of a Venturi tube exteriorly thereof and rearwardly of the wing tip trailing edge in the direct path of wing tip vortices passing oil' the wing tip, a streamline cover encasing the said tube between its ends, and a grillworkof air straightening plates at one end of the tube.

5. A Wing vortex reducer comprising, in an aircraft, a wing having a fore-and-aft passage for the ow of air through the wing from the leadf ing to the trailing edges thereof and a lateral passage for the now of air into the wing from the tip end thereof, said lateral passage communicat- 'lng with the fore-and-aft passage.

6. A wing vortex reducer comprising, in an aircraft, a wing having a fore-and-ait passage forthe flow of air through the wing from the leading to the trailing edges thereof and a lateral passage for the flow of air into the wing from the tip endy thereof, said lateal passage communicating with the fore-and-aft passage, and a grillwork of air straighteners iny said fore-and-aft passage.

7. A wing tip vortex reducer comprising, in an aircraft, the combination of a-wing, a passage-de ning member connected with the wing with its air-intake end disposed and arranged adjacent a tip of the wing so as continuously and fully to intercept and to guide into the member when the aircraft is in flight the air at the wing tip producing'and tending to produce wing tip vortices and with its air-outlet end disposed and arranged to conduct and discharge the intercepted air into the airstream behind the wing and along a path 4substantially parallel tothe direction of said airstream and a grillwork of, air straightening plates in the'passage of the said member.

8. A wing vortex reducer comprising, in an aircraft, a wing having a fore-and-aft passage for the Yflow of air throughv the wing from the leading to the-trailing edges thereof --and a lateral passage for the flow of air inwardly of the'wing from the tip end thereof, the said fore-and-aft passage havlng'a constriction therein and the said lateral passage'communicating with the fore-andaft passage at the point iof maximum constriction of the latter. ,v

9. Awlngtipvortexreducercomprisinginan aircraft. a wing having internal suction passages leading longitudinally inward thereof from openings in theedges of the wing tips, and air pump meansfor producing a low pressure area within l an aircraft, a wing having an air inlet passage at the tip, and a venturi suitably located onl the aircraft within and with its axis parallel to the air streamfof the aircraft and with its throat in communication with the air inlet passage of the wing whereby fluid flow through the venturi establishes a pressure differential between the tip end of the wing and the throat vof the venturi such as to cause a continuous ilow of air into the wing tip and through the venturi to vavoid vortex eiect at the wing tip.

l1. A wing tip vortex reducer comprising, in an aircraft structure, a wing having its tip portions respectively provided with an air passage extending ina fore-and-aft direction through the wing in spaced inwardly relation to the wing tip edges and an air-intake passage between the foreand-aft passage and the wing tip edge, said air intake passage being shaped to provide a bell mouth at its outer end which is disposed at and opens through the wing tip edge and a contracted portion at its inner end whichl has communication with the said fore-and-aft passage, andthe said fore-and-aft passage being contracted at the point of communication with the air intake whereby the pressure of the air entering said passages is reduced at the contractions in said passages.

12. An airplane wing having a Venturl tube in the wing tip and extending fore-and-aft of the wing with its intake end at the leading edge of the wing and itsoutlet at the trailing edge, and a flat bell mouth side tubeleading outwardly from the throat of the Venturi tube to the tip of the wing with its bell mouth facing downwardly and outwardly of, the wing tip edge.

13. A wing tip vortexreducer comprising, in an aircraft, the combination of a`wing, a tube supported by thewing and having an airow passage consisting of flared intake and discharge conduits leading to and from respectively a contraction in the passage, the said intake conduits being disposed and arranged adjacent the wing tip so as continuously and fully to intercept and guide into the passage during the flight of the aircraft, the airilow at the wing tip producing or tending to produce Wing tip vortices and the said discharge conduit being disposed and arranged to discharge the intercepted air in the directie/n of and substantially parallel to the normal alrflow rearwards of the said wing and a grillwork of air straightening plates in said passage.

ARTHUR W. LOERKE. 

